Merlin the Pony
by FantasyPixie
Summary: To say it was a strange day would be an understatement. Merlin and Arthur end up in a funny little situation; which just happens to involve a piggy back.   Review if you please...


To say it was an odd day would be an understatement. The rain poured down into the forest, a soaking Prince Arthur and his equally drenched man-servant- Merlin- were having a heated discussion about an incident that happed early today.  
>"This, Merlin, is your entire fault!" Arthur spat in annoyance.<br>"My fault, how is it my fault?" Merlin questioned as he stomped along, trying to avoid the puddles of mud scattered about the land. The dollop-head always did this; blamed him for everything. So what if I didn't do something right, prat!  
>"Because, only you couldn't tie the horses up properly and then go and lose them in the process." Arthur shouted through the harsh rain.<br>Merlin huffed. He made it sound so awful, it was only a little mistake and it's not like it would kill him to walk once in a while!  
>"The rope snapped; my rope tying technique had nothing to do with it!"<br>With that last retort Arthur stormed off in strop, only to slip on mud seconds later. At first Merlin howled with laughter because normally he was the one tripping over his own two feet. But then Arthur didn't get back up, not even after a Merlin teased him about Gwen.  
>Merlin felt a wave of nausea rise within the pit of his stomach. He thought back to when Arthur got hit in the back with an arrow, that was not a good day and he hoped never to repeat it.<br>He sprinted towards Arthur. He stumbled in the process, sliding on the mud and stopping to fall on top of the silent Prince. That in itself had awoke the silent Prince into a fit of rage.  
>"MERLIN, YOU IDIOT!" Arthur boomed. Well at least he wasn't dead Merlin thought, on the down side, he was even angrier.<br>"Are you alright Sire? That was quite a stumble you had back there; it was better than one of my falls." Merlin gave a teasing grin down towards the fallen royal.  
>"Of course I'm okay, just get off me, and help me up!"<br>Merlin did as his master commended- he thought he had seen him suffer enough. He offered his hand for Arthur to take and he begrudgingly took his offer of assistance; only when he did Arthur realize that his ankle did in-fact hurt; a sharp shooting pain subsiding within his ankle. He grunted in pain and limped to the nearest rock.  
>"Arthur? Are you really okay?" Merlin questioned as he carefully avoided the mud and walked to where Arthur sat; hands rested on his ankle, head bowed in pain.<br>"No. I'm not okay; I think my ankle's broken. Can you- can you take a look at it? Please." Arthur must be in pain Merlin thought; only pain could provoke a plea for help from Arthur's lips.  
>The Warlock crouched on his knees so that now he was looking at Arthur- whose face was screwed up in pain. The rain had come to an end and now the sun peeked past the trees. It was truly a picturesque scene of a Prince, and his man-servant.<br>Merlin gently poked and prodded at where Arthur felt pain; this conjured a weak hissing from the Prince. Merlin cocked his head in deliberation trying to diagnose the pain from Arthur's ankle.  
>"Luck is on your side Arthur; it seems to be only a sprain." Arthur huffed and looked down at Merlin with mock anger.<br>"If luck was on my side today, then we would still have the horses, Merlin."  
>"Can you walk?"<br>"I'm not sure, can you help me?" Merlin held out the length of his arms for Arthur to grip onto. The Prince grasped tightly onto his servants arms; it was clear that Arthur would not be able to walk back to Camelot.  
>Arthur slumped back onto the rock, his hurting leg outstretched to ease his pain. After a moment or so Arthur spoke in a commanding tone.<br>"You will have to carry me." Merlin laughed at the statement... until he realized that Arthur was not kidding.  
>"What?" Merlin quizzed; looking into Arthurs all too serious eyes.<br>"You heard. Now, bend over Merlin." Merlin's eyes winded at the horrible thought at having to give Arthur a piggy-back all the way back to Camelot.  
>"Do as I say." Arthur simply replied. Merlin huffed and bent down below Arthur, and waited for the added weight of his master.<br>And as promised, his weight made Merlin nearly buckle under his weight. Merlin grunted and started to take slow and steady.  
>"Common, Faster boy" Arthur laughed as he watched Merlin struggle.<br>"Shut up Clot pole. You should really lay off the pies!" Merlin moaned. Arthur smacked Merlin around his head.  
>"Play nice, pony!" Arthur jested and smiled as he clung onto Merlin's back.<br>It was going to be a long walk home. Merlin decided.

It was now mid day in the forests and the sun high in the sky, looking over two men.  
>One of the men was settled on the back of the other; the other looked to be in some kind of pain from having to carry the blonde man on his back. They seemed to be heading north, in the direction of the billowing stature of the famous castle of Camelot.<br>"How long does it take to get home Merlin?" Arthur complained after clinging onto his man- servant's neck for what must have been well over an hour.  
>Merlin huffed. One more remark like that off Lord Clot pole and said Clot pole might take an unexpected dip into the river!<br>"Well Sire, if you where to quit asking if we're nearly there yet, we might've been back at Camelot by now!" Merlin struggled to take the next weak step along the forests carpet.  
>"Right... are we nearly there yet?" Arthur questioned as he was growing impatient and his arms where sore.<br>With that Merlin finally lost his patience with the pompous Prince and pretended to "lose his footing" on a covenant placed branch near the lake. As hoped for Arthur feel head first into the lake leaving Merlin spurned across the ground, flat on his face.  
>"MERLIN, WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT YOU IDIOT!"<br>"It was an accident Sire; I couldn't hold all that extra weight!" Merlin stormed off in an angry stride.  
>"Well, what can I do? It's not like I can walk now, is it!" Arthur spoke; he'd been annoyed at the entire situation, not to mention his ankle had started pulsating with pain with his full weight on his swollen ankle.<br>"Well maybe get a ride with a dragon, but since there are no more dragons and magic is outlawed, that will never happen." Merlin carried on storming ahead, leaving a limping Arthur struggling behind.  
>Merlin looked back at the limping Price; pity filled his entire being as he watched the figure of his Prince struggling to stand yet alone take even one step. He sighed and started to make his way back to Arthur. He stopped in front of Arthur, giving him a look of compassion and understanding, letting Arthur know what he was about to do.<br>The young man turned around and grabbed the blondes legs while the blonde wrapped his arms around the skinny mans neck, taking his place on his back once again.  
>With a heavy sigh Merlin began to take small steps again. Slowly, but surely they would make their way back to Camelot. And then Arthur said something Merlin never expected from to pass his lips: he uttered the word "Thank you."<br>"No problem Sire; just doing my job." Merlin smiled to himself and couldn't help but think back to the first time he met Arthur all those years back in the court yard, he let out a gruff laugh.  
>"What's so funny?" Arthur asked from the top of Merlin's back, he was intrigued to know what Merlin thought, not that he would ever tell him that.<br>"It's just... you never did teach me to walk on my knees." Merlin looked up to see the Prince smirk, not one of those evil smirks of doom that Morgana fashioned, but a pure, happy, boyish smirk.  
>"And do you want to know why I think you haven't?"<br>"Go on Merlin, do tell." Arthur played along with the friendly banter.  
>"Because you like me, some could even go as far to say we were best friends."<br>Arthur huffed. "There's still time you know Merlin."  
>They kept moving at a steady pace, with each step they seemed to move faster and faster.<p>

"If we keep going at this rate, I think-we might -make it back in time for training with the nights."  
>"That's not going to happen, not with that ankle anyway!" Merlin snapped back a reply.<br>And with that the two men made their way back to their home.


End file.
